On Jul 18, 3:16 pm, Billy Mays
<81282ed9a88799d21e77957df2d84bd6514d9...@myhashismyemail.com> wrote:> I am trying to design a programming language for a simple processor> (16 bit, ~10 instructions, 16 registers). I am not sure what a> language actually needs in order to be more useful than pure assembly,> but is also reasonable to implement.

I'd list the top three as: consistant, readable, provide high level
flow control constructs.

You can get that with assembly language and a separate macro pre-
processor.

> I had originally tried to make a RPN style language where the language> is purely stack based, but I realized it wouldn't be Turing complete.> I'd rather not just re implement C or other commonly used languages,> but I'm having a hard time coming up with something I'd actually want> to use.>> Any advice for a newbie?

No one has mentioned Grimley Evans's bcompiler.

It is actually several step-wise compilers to bootstrap his BCC
compiler, from nothing.

He borrows the stream i/o convenience of linux; stdin, stdout,
redirection to/from a file and the elf file format.